Cooperation with Morocco in the field of fishery is important to Russia

Russia is interested in catching fish in Morocco's zone while the Moroccan side is interested in compensation payments made by the Russian side, Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery Ilya Shestakov says

AGADIR, April 09. /ITAR-TASS/. Cooperation with Morocco in the field of fisheries is of importance to Russia and it will be developing, Ilya Shestakov, Russia's Deputy Minister of Agriculture, and Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo), told ITAR-TASS on Tuesday in an interview after the ceremony marking the signing of a protocol on the results of the second session of the Russia-Morocco mixed commission for fisheries.

"Russia and Morocco have mutual interests in the field of fisheries," Shestakov said. "Russia is interested in catching fish in Morocco's zone while the Moroccan side is interested in compensation payments made by the Russian side".

He said, "There is also mutual interests in scientific and technical cooperation, including that in the training of personnel, in the conduct of research by Russian research vessels with the participation of Moroccan specialists".

"The talks have been held quite successfully in a very friendly and constructive atmosphere. I'd like to point out that on the Moroccan side the talks were conducted by Aziz Ahennouch, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries. This is illusrative of the considerable attention which Morocco attaches to interaction with the Russian Federation," Shestakov emphasized.

During the meetings, he went on to say, "The sides discussed not only marine fisheries but also agricultre". "We touched upon the issue of giving greater scope to cooperation in the field of joint deliveries of farm products, specifically the possibility of stepping up the supply of citrus fruits to the Russian market, as well as Russian grain to the Kingdom," he explained.

"We achieved very good results and evaluate the results of the visit as positive. Step by step, we proceed in the direction of wider and closer cooperation," Shestakov said.

Shestakov thanked the Moroccan side for "hospitality, good nature, and fine arrangements for thes session," expressing confidence that "bilateral cooperation will develop not only in the sphere of marine fisheries, but also in agriculture".

"I want to say that the western coast of Africa is highly important to us. Russian companies over here engage in fishery operaitons. We are yet to examine resources as to how to improve work with a whole lot of countries in the region," the Rosrybolovstvo chief summarized.